Soft summer light bathes the world in warm shades of gold and the grass squishes deliciously under our feet. The air smells like spring and the sky drapes the world in blue. Elijah runs around the backyard, splashing in puddles from rain, dashing to the fence and back, and checking the raspberry bushes to see if any berries have grown yet. He tells me about how he has to put seeds in the puddles and he explains why we have a fence around the raspberry bushes ("to make sure the bunnies don't get the berries, Hannah!").
My frustration from a busy day evaporates immediately as I watch him race around, laughing and enjoying the night air. And his contagious joy reminds me of how we are to live. His unconscious celebration of each day in all its beauty and simplicity, in the midst of the good things and the bad, is natural. I want to remember how it is to live so fully, completely, and simply, and cultivate a spirit of joy and gratefuleness. To be like a child. So as the sun slips golden under the horizon, we walk around the backyard, enjoying the day with its promise of summer and I tell myself, "you remember this."
Aww, how cute! I love these photos - beautiful. :)
ReplyDeletehugs,
~bree
how sweet! :D i love this!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful depiction of childhood freedom. Beautiful pictures accompanying the words. <3
ReplyDeleteSuch a good reminder! He is such a cutie - I really love the close-ups of him. :)
ReplyDeleteyou are such a beautiful writer.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written Hannah. Elijah is such a little cutie.
ReplyDeletethese are some of my favorites yet hannah, they're so very real, i feel as if i could be standing right next to you. so beautiful, and that elijah is a cutie. love.
ReplyDeleteThat kid is so cute! He reminds me of another little fellow I can think of...
ReplyDeleteyes. those moments are worth living for, worth remembering. how come your yard always has the most gorgeous light? ahh. ♥
ReplyDeletethis little'n is cute. i like him.
ReplyDelete-jocee <3
This is beautiful Hannah- LOVE the close-up black and whites! :)
ReplyDeletethese photographs are pretty, elijah is one heck of a cute kid, and your words strike so close to home.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how it is to learn and admire a young one. Beautiful pictures, beautiful words
ReplyDeleteYou know, I don't know if I ever told you this, but one of my favorite things about your blog is how you take "in the moment" pictures. You captured your little brother running around out back in his PJs, barefoot, getting all dirty and having a blast. You're just awesome, that's all.
ReplyDeletelovely capturing, Hannah. Love the B&W upclose with his eyes closed, especially.
ReplyDeletexo
l.
this lighting, this lighting, this lighting. love, love, love.
ReplyDeleteThese are incredibly beautiful...
ReplyDeleteI think it is so funny that I have an Elijah and a Sam in our family! I am the oldest of eight, so..yeah.
ReplyDeleteI love your pictures and your blog. You inspire me to be something more.
aww, these are so cool! the light here is just... wow.
ReplyDeleteI really see a resemblance between you two. He is so adorable!
ReplyDeleteYour words=beautiful. Your brother=too cute for words. Love!
ReplyDeleteHe has got to be the cutest thing ever. Love those shots, especially the candid ones! Those are the best-the ones of his scrunched up nose and smiling face. Lovely post, Hannah!
ReplyDeleteThese are beautiful!! But just letting you know, your photos load very slowly. :( It may just be my computer but I thought you'd like to know anyhow. Do you resize them for the web?
ReplyDeleteelijah is so adorable! Love that picture of him laughing! So cute.
ReplyDeleteThose lovely words that you wrote are similar to what I've been thinking about the past few days. With college coming up in the fall... I'm seriously gonna miss these moments.
Elijah is gorgeous. These pictures are gorgeous. Everything about them - ah! I'm just in love.
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Alexxus
Your little siblings are the cutest! Hooray for golden hour & freelensing! :)
ReplyDeleteeve @ essence of eve
Such a good reminder. Something I need to remember desperately. Also, the birthday pics were marvelous. You inspire me so much.... thanks. A lot.
ReplyDeletexx.
Lindsey
oh my gosh, these are too cute! You have an amazing way of capturing the true beauty of each person you photograph. :)
ReplyDelete~Mary Kate
Oh is he a charmer!! I just love the natural free way you capture your siblings.You will treasure photo's like these forever!
ReplyDeleteYours,
K
Elijah is so, so, so adorable! And you take such lovely photos that I could simply go on reiterating that fact.
ReplyDeleteI love how you take real photo's. The ones that are not posed are so incredibly special, Hannah. And you do an amazing job at taking those. I too am often reminded by my younger sibling to simply enjoy life, and that is why this post of yours may be my absolute favorite. I can't think of how to portray my feeling about this post anymore, all I can do is smile :)
ReplyDeleteHave a fantastic day, Hannah. And keep smiling :)
~Molly~
mollyslittlecorner.blogspot.com
He's adorable! The lighting is lovely. :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE your blog, Hannah! And I can completely relate to that post... there's been so many times that I've told myself to remember something, tried to engrave the picture or memory or words in my mind so that I'll never, ever forget them. This post is definitely one of my favorites. =)
ReplyDelete